The present invention relates to barriers, and more particularly to a control system for a barrier such as a garage door.
A typical barrier, such as a garage door, can be can be lowered to a closed position and lifted to an opened position by a motor during a closing cycle and an opening cycle, respectively. During the closing cycle, the motor generally lowers the barrier with a first predetermined amount of power. During the opening cycle, the motor generally lifts the barrier with the same first predetermined amount of power. For example, the first predetermined amount of power can be ½ horsepower (“hp”).
When the barrier is heavy, the motor is typically configured differently to overcome a different moment of inertia. That is, the motor is configured to lift the barrier with a second predetermined amount of power that is typically greater than the first predetermined amount of power. In such cases, the second predetermined amount of power can be ¾ hp. However, starting and lifting the barrier at high power such as ¾ hp can lead to excessive mechanical shock to the barrier. As a result of the excessive mechanical shock to the barrier, the barrier and its mounting hardware can be damaged over time.